A vehicle owner may wish to lend his or her vehicle to an authorized user, such as a mechanic, valet, friend, or family member, and may be required to transfer a physical key. Providing a physical key typically provides an authorized user with full access and operation of a vehicle, including but not limited to driving the vehicle, accessing the glove compartment, and accessing the trunk.
Although lending a vehicle with a physical key typically enables an authorized user to use the vehicle, there are some shortcomings. For example, use of a physical key requires the owner to physically transfer the key to the authorized user, which may be inconvenient when the owner and authorized user reside in different locations. Moreover, use of a physical key permits the authorized user complete and unlimited autonomy to access vehicle compartments, and to operate the vehicle at any speed, for any duration, and in any location without any restrictions or adherence to the owner's preferences. Furthermore, smart keys and keyless authorization mechanisms are similarly unable to prevent an authorized user from unwanted access to vehicle functions or operations.
Therefore, there is a need for electronic or virtual keys to enable an owner to set and control permissions for a vehicle and to monitor vehicle usage remotely. However, existing electronic keys may not allow an owner to modify a vehicle permission or track an authorized user's vehicle usage in real-time. Furthermore, existing electronic keys may not be tailored to user-specific permissions or operable in a cloud network. Therefore, it may be desirable to implement electronic key software to facilitate distribution, modification, and control of electronic keys according to an owner's preferences and assigned user permissions in a cloud environment.